Month: November 2016

Baha 5 user and football enthusiast Milan Szente shows off his Baha 5 shirt at a recent launch event in Budapest, Hungary.

Milan was born with conductive hearing loss on both ears and has been wearing a Baha solution since he was little. Recently he upgraded from the BP100 to the Baha 5 System, and shared his experiences at the event. It was his very first time talking in front of a big audience!

“I like the new drop-like shape of the Baha 5 Sound Processor, it is very elegant. My friends and family sometimes forget that I wear one, because it is so small! The new technology and the quality of sound are simply great. The accessories for it are very useful and make my life easier.”

“Currently my favorite is the TV Streamer. I always keep the Remote Control around because it is very important for me. I use the TV Streamer daily, the Mini Mic approximately once a week at school, and the Phone Clip from time to time. When I start University I will probably use the Mini Mic more often, and if I get a job in the future I will use the Phone Clip more frequently – probably while driving.”

Milan enjoys both to play and listen to music. This summer he participated for the second time at the Beats of Cochlea Festival in Poland, an international music festival for hearing impaired people from around the world. He performed on the piece “The beginning” on the e-guitar, his own composition. Something he wouldn’t have been able to do without his Baha solution.

But what Milan loves most is football – namely Italian team Juventus. He was actually inspired by the Cochlear representative in Central Europe, Antonio Sportelli.

“I am a Juventus fan because I have been inspired by Antonio, since I have met him. Antonio gave me a new nickname, because my name was ‘Milan’ and his favorite club is Juve, so he started calling me ‘Juve’. I am very proud of it. I love the football club because it is very cool and they play very good football. I am also a big fan of my hometown’s club ‘Videoton’. I usually go to matches with my father and friends.”

And his biggest dreams in life?

“I would like to work for Cochlear one day as they “gave me back hearing”, so I can hear now and always! Once in my life I would really like to watch a Juventus match live. I do find the Baha sound processors very interesting, so I would like to visit the Cochlear building in Sweden where they’re made. I would like to become as good in German and Swedish as I am in English (I have a level C1 language certification in English). There’s really no limits to what I can do.”

A new study shows that fewer and fewer feel embarrassed wearing hearing aids.

Concerns about embarrassment have long been a major reason why people with hearing loss choose not to wear hearing devices. Many people go untreated years longer than necessary.

At least it is never too late to get help. Malcolm Simon, USA, had hearing loss all his life and didn’t get his Baha sound processor until 80 years of age. And he’s happier than ever!

“It was totally ignored in those days,” says Malcolm. “While glasses were common, hearing aids were not. They weren’t acceptable and people would actually laugh at you. I’d say, ‘Listen, a person has to wear glasses if they can’t see, so what’s wrong with a person wearing hearing aids if they can’t hear?’ Nowadays, I think hearing aids are accepted by everybody. People wear stuff in their ears and over their heads for all sorts of reasons, so there’s no longer a stigma about wearing hearing aids.”

Now a study carried out in Europe in 2009, 2012 and 2015, shows a steady decline in the number of people with hearing loss who indicate they are embarrassed to wear hearing aids.

In the 2009 survey, 56% of people with hearing loss said that they felt embarrassed wearing hearing aids. In 2012, 52% felt embarrassed. In 2015 the figure had dropped to 42%.

”I’m very happy that fewer and fewer people with hearing loss will feel embarrassed to wear hearing aids”, says Secretary General Kim Ruberg, hear-it AISBL.

”But I still cannot understand why people will feel embarrassed about hearing aids. Hearing loss is quite common and nothing to be embarrassed about. And who would be embarrassed of wearing glasses if they have a problem with their vision? Hearing aids help people to hear just like glasses help people to see. I really hope that within a few years no one will feel embarrassed to wear hearing aids.”

Like this:

Question: Hi can you please advise which landline phone I could use? I have the Baha 5 Sound Processor and the Phone Clip. Or is there an accessory that I can purchase? Thanks! // Tracey

Answer: Hi Tracey. You can connect the Phone Clip to your landline phone system as long as it has Bluetooth capability. We recommend you take your Phone Clip into the store and ask the staff to help you connect it before purchasing a new landline phone. That way you can be sure it is compatible.

Holiday season is almost here and for the world’s 360 million people with hearing loss, that might mean difficulty navigating crowded, noisy airports. If you’re visiting relatives or planning to travel someplace fun, make a list of what to pack to ensure you don’t forget any of your hearing device essentials.

Here are some simple suggestions for holiday travel with hearing loss to keep in mind:

You also might want to schedule a quick trip to see your hearing healthcare professional before you go. Together, you can determine what adjustments, if any, need to be made to your hearing devices so you can hear effectively while on vacation.

Remember, it’s okay to walk through the airport security check wearing your Baha sound processors. The metal detectors won’t damage them. Do not place them on the conveyer belt or in the plastic bins, as that may generate static electricity. Also, you do not need to turn off your sound processors on the plane when the flight attendant tells you to turn off electronic devices, though you might need to switch them onto flight mode.

Like this:

Question: Is the Baha System available yet for pediatric patients in Colombia (South America)?

Thank you! //Ruth

Answer: Hi Ruth. Yes, absolutely! The Baha System has been available in Latin and South America since 2006, with approximately 3000 users currently in Colombia. Out of those, 60% are adults and 40% are children.

Like this:

November 9th is the first ever Microtia Awareness Day in the US, and is dedicated to spreading hope and knowledge concerning the congenital birth defect, which is named efter the Latin terms for little ears.

Approximately one out of every 8,000 babies are born with Microtia – a malformed outer ear – either on one or both sides. Children born with microtia will usually have a functioning inner ear, but as the outer and middle ear are affected, they will have conductive hearing loss. For children with microtia a conventional hearing aid is more than likely not an option, however they may benefit from a Baha solution that doesn’t require an outer ear to sit on and can bypass the problem and send sound directly to the inner ear.

The Ear Community Organization founded Microtia Awareness Day in 2016 and was submitted by the Tumblin family. Melissa Tumblin founded Ear Community in 2010 after stumbling through the hurdles and challenges of finding answers for her daughter when she was born with Microtia. Since then, Ear Community has brought over 6,500 people together from around the world at the organization’s events making it possible to share experiences and resources. The community is made up of not only children and adults with Microtia and their families, but teachers, advocates, and medical professionals from around the world who foster awareness and assistance for this amazing group of people. Board members either have the condition or a family member who does, so they have close personal experience with the obstacles from a myriad of perspectives. The Registrar at National Day Calendar approved Microtia Awareness Day in October.

Mark the calendar for Microtia Awareness Day for November 9th and think of the number 9 as the shape of an ear!

Could you – or anyone you know – apply for the Anders Tjellström UK & Ireland Scholarship?

The unique award is open to Baha recipients who are:

a UK or Irish resident and implanted at a UK or Irish Baha implant centre

currently completing their final year of school or sixth form college and who have been accepted onto a full-time university or other tertiary education course

18 years or over at application deadline

mature students who have been accepted onto a full-time or other tertiary education course

students currently undertaking a full-time university degree or other tertiary education course

studying for a minimum of 2 years

previous applicants are eligible to apply if they meet the above criteria

Applicants must submit their completed application form with all supporting documentation and required information by the deadline. No late applications or part of the application pack will be accepted. Please do not send original documents where copies have been requested, as documents will not be returned.

The Baha® Blog is written by the team at Cochlear Bone Anchored Solutions AB (Cochlear)|Opinions expressed in the Twitter feed and in any related comments reflect the personal opinions of the original authors, not those of Cochlear|The Baha® Blog and Cochlear are not responsible for the content or opinions expressed in external sites |In the United States and Canada, the placement of a bone-anchored implant is contraindicated in children below the age of 5|Please note that not all products mentioned are available in all countries